Bridget Flaherty ’21

Staff Writer

You can tell a lot about people based on the songs that they play in the shower. For example, I know that someone on my floor just saw “Bohemian Rhapsody”and really dug the soundtrack. I know that a lot of people on my floor share a mutual affinity for “A Star is Born,” although I don’t know if they appreciated my playing “I Love You – Dialogue” on repeat for my 30-minute shower last night. I know that some people like listening to hard-core, fist-bumping, hair-flipping dance tracks at 8 in the morning, and that some people listen to Carly Rae Jepsen and The Beatles interchangeably (Respect).

Whether you like it or not, your shower playlist contributes to people’s perceptions of you. It is a branch of your public persona. It is an extension of you. If this sounds dramatic, then you don’t take your shower playlist seriously enough to understand the crucial role it plays in defining one’s identity.

I know whether or not you are a considerate individual based on the volume at which you play your music and your choice to use a speaker or just your phone. If you play a popular Taylor Swift song, I assume that you have an average, but good, taste in music. If you play a slew of Taylor Swift songs, I know that you were recently dumped. If you listen to Bruce Springsteen, you have a good relationship with your parents. If you play dance music, you’re probably fun at parties, but you also clearly don’t have boundaries. If you play show tunes, I want to be your friend. If you sing in the shower, you’re super confident and probably participate a lot in class. If you play indie music, you’re either going through something or fancy yourself better than everyone else. If you listen to popular songs that play on a loop at parties, I’ll assume that you’re trying to learn the lyrics, which is endearing.

And if you don’t play music in the shower, if you’re a part of that anonymous, mysterious subculture that enjoys shampooing in silence, then you’re probably a sociopath.     If you’re like me and can’t stand to be alone with your thoughts, I’ll tell you my top three shower songs so you can use them next time you want to impress your floormates with your music taste. “Love Story” by Taylor Swift is a cult classic, and anyone who pretends they aren’t immediately pumped up when the bridge and final chorus rolls around is just lying. Emma Stone solidified “Pocket Full of Sunshine” as an ultimate shower bop in her hilarious scene in “Easy A”. Finally, I like to close out my shower in dramatic fashion, treating my floormates to my rendition of “One Day More” from Les Miserables (I perform every part). But those are just my personal preferences. My sister told me she listened to a podcast in the shower the other day. You can get creative with it – just know everyone else is listening too, and judging you accordingly.